What Was Her Name Again?
by roothlace
Summary: Sharon is angry at herself for getting attracted to her 'assignment'


_Captain America_ doesn't belong to me

**What was her name again?**

Sharon Carter made her way slowly towards apartment building where she lived. It was a cool Friday evening and she was glad of that, although in her line of work and especially with her current assignment weekends meant totally nothing, but even that failed to put a damper on her happiness.

Sharon loved her job – who wouldn't enjoy making the world a safer place and her specific assignment of looking after Captain America wasn't bad at all. Steve Rogers was a genuinely nice guy and currently her next door neighbour. When the Director had first called her and given her the assignment Sharon had wondered if she could do it, if she could actually pretend to be just Captain America's next door neighbour especially since she really liked him.

But then again who wouldn't like Captain Steve Rogers. The man was not only a hero, but he was handsome as well and he was about the nicest person she'd ever met. Sharon really liked him and ever since he'd moved in she was finding herself getting more and more attracted to him. Who wouldn't be attracted to a man who offered to carry your groceries up the stairs, invited you for coffee, was interested in your 'cover' work – Steve had been so impressed with her 'nurse' work, complimented you and cared about what you cared about, ever since he'd found her talking to her aunt on the phone, he always asked how she was. All in all Steve Rogers was beginning to take up much of her thoughts both at and out of work.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the motorbike that came out of nowhere and almost hit her. Luckily her training kicked in in time for move out of the way before she got hurt any farther and she watched as the motorbike disappeared down the road without so much as a backward glance. Her shopping was currently running down the road as well but she didn't bother to pick it up instead she sat in the road disgusted.

000

Steve Rogers was standing in his window looking out and he saw Sharon fall to the ground; without thinking about it he rushed out of the room to help her.

"Sharon I saw what happened, are you hurt?"

Sharon couldn't have answered him even if she had wanted to; she was so busy staring at his naked chest.

Steve didn't seem to notice that he was wearing only a pair of thin cotton trousers, he'd been in such a hurry to get to her he hadn't even worn any shoes.

"Let me get you out of here," he told her and carried her off the ground.

"There's no need for you to carry me," Sharon told him but he didn't seem to hear her. In fact he brushed aside all her protests and carried her up the stairs to her door. Expertly he got her keys from her bag and opened the door without adjusting her at all and carried her to the sofa,

"Thank you," Sharon told him.

"It was my pleasure."

They stared at each other for a while and then Sharon swallowed and said, "I hope I didn't pull you away from anything important."

Steve looked at himself, remembering at the moment that he'd been thinking of taking a shower before he'd seen the accident. "I'm sorry," he apologised, "I didn't mean to walk about undressed."

"It's nothing," Sharon replied, hoping she didn't sound prim at all.

"Excuse me," Steve told her and left her apartment shutting the door behind him.

000

Steve paced around in his apartment. What was wrong with him? He was a grown man, an old man at that, why was he acting like a teenager? Sure, he'd never had time to have a proper relationship with a woman in his life but still that was no excuse to act like that, he ought to know better and added to that Sharon was too young and too good for him. She probably had her own perfect life including a boyfriend; but at least he was sure she wasn't married.

But then again what did it matter if she had a boyfriend or not? He didn't realistically think that she could be interested in him. He had asked her out once and she'd refused, she'd had a valid excuse but a refusal is still a refusal so maybe she wasn't interested in him. He'd noticed her reaction to his naked chest but then again that could be just a normal female reaction which didn't necessarily mean that she wanted anything to do with hm.

Just push her out of you mind and do your work, Steve told himself, you didn't do any more for her than you wouldn't do for anyone else. She needed help and you helped that's it.

It was as he was preparing for bed a few hours later that Steve remembered how abruptly he'd left her apartment.

000

Sharon was listening to Sam Cooke when she heard the knock on her door. She glanced at her watch, it was about 10.30pm. It wasn't that late especially for a Friday evening but she knew it wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D business because they wouldn't have knocked and it couldn't be anyone else since all of her friends thought she was out of the country and she wasn't seeing anyone.

The knock came again and she sat up and made her way to the door,

"Do you always open your door to strangers without securing the chain?" Steve asked her.

"You're not a stranger," Sharon told him.

"But you didn't know it was me," Steve insisted. "I could have been anyone."

"You could," Sharon was annoyed, "but you're not are you, Captain America?"

"Captain America?" Steve was puzzled; she had never called him that before, ever since they'd met all those months ago, after the initial introductions she had always called him Steve or neighbour. "Are you angry with me or something?"

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"I don't know," Steve replied, "if I did I wouldn't be asking you, would I?"

Sharon was angry at herself, angry that she had let Steve see her angry but mostly angry that she was being such a girl. The man hadn't declared undying love, he hadn't said or done anything at all, so why was she feeling sort of let down?

"I'm sorry Steve," she told him, "I'm just having an off day, that's all."

"Okay," Steve forced a smile, "I didn't mean to intrude."

"You didn't," Sharon was calmer now and she smiled at him. "Was there anything you wanted?"

"Anything I wanted?"

"You did knock at my door," Sharon reminded him.

"I just wanted to apologize," Steve told her. "For being rude earlier."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Sharon assured him.

Steve nodded and turned to leave. "Sharon, are we okay?" he asked her.

"Of course we are, neighbour," she smiled and shut her door.

000


End file.
